A week ago, Jay Cutler (ankle) said he he’d be disappointed if he weren’t back for Week 14. We haven’t heard a real update since then as he tries to gain medical clearance. All we know is that Cutler will test out the ankle during Thursday’s practice and go from there. Ideally, owners will be able to roster both Cutler and Josh McCown, and then just use whichever one starts against the Cowboys on Monday night. Either one would be a top-10 play. Note that in four full starts this season, McCown is averaging 298.7 yards passing with seven touchdowns and one pick while completing 64.5 percent of his passes.

This week’s home game against the Rams is the last week I’d consider streaming Carson Palmer. It’s been a fun ride, as he’s averaged 289.6 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions over the last four weeks. That domination of soft matchups is exactly what we’re talking about when we play the “wait on a QB” game during the draft. Palmer will be a borderline QB1 option in Week 14, but then he’ll be hands off at Tennessee in Week 15, at Seattle in Week 16 and vs. San Francisco in Week 17.

Ryan Tannehill has gone over 300 yards in back-to-back games and completed more than 62 percent of his passes in five straight. He’s done it by exploiting some very shaky secondaries over the last month (TB, SD, CAR, NYJ). That would be a red flag if he didn’t have another tasty matchup this week. Tannehill and an emerging Mike Wallace get to feast on struggling Ike Taylor Sunday, opening up a strong possibility of a big play or two. Tannehill is a two-QB league desperation option.

It’s no longer a simple no-brainer to stream in the quarterback facing the Jags. See the Defense/Special Teams section of this column for more on that. That said, this is still a good matchup for Keenum, who gained back a little confidence by going for 272 yards against the Patriots in Week 13. We know the Jags secondary is susceptible to big plays (see Gordon, Josh).

Owners might be looking to bail out on Mike Glennon after he was held to 180 yards and no touchdowns with one interception in Week 13. Let’s not overreact to a back-to-back road spot in which he was at Carolina. This week, Glennon gets a Bills defense that brought Roddy White back to life and the game is in Tampa. He’ll bounce back.

The Colts aren’t trying to save face anymore, they’re trying to win games with a sputtering offense. That means Donald Brown is the starter, and Trent Richardson is the change-of-pace back. In Week 13, Brown logged 52 snaps and got 16 touches while T-Rich saw just 13 snaps en route to a mere five touches. The former also powered into the end zone with under two minutes left to seal the win over the Titans. Brown has earned the starting job and featured back role with his play, not his draft or trade status. He’ll be a candidate for another 13-18 touches against the Bengals Sunday as a flex option.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

RB Montee Ball, BroncosOwned in 45 percent of Yahoo leagues

Owners that burned a waiver priority on Montee Ball last week were kicking themselves as Knowshon Moreno (ankle) got back in practice and started against the Chiefs. Then they kicked themselves again as we benched Ball, only to watch him rip off 117 yards on 13 carries (Moreno had 19 touches for 90 yards and a TD). Everyone relax. Ball is a good bet to gain value down the stretch because he’s being used more and more as a complement, and also because it’s possible the Broncos will look to rest Moreno completely at some point. It’s clear that when Ball gets carries, he produces. On the season, he’s averaging 4.30 YPC on his 88 carries and has scored three touchdowns.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

RB Jonathan Dwyer, SteelersOwned in 3 percent of Yahoo leagues

The nasty helmet-to-helmet hit that Le’Veon Bell took from Jimmy Smith on Thanksgiving resulted in memory loss. As of Monday, Bell had been cleared to run but he still didn’t know if he’d be cleared to play against the Dolphins Sunday. As we’ve seen many times before concussions can either be one-week injuries (Zac Stacy) or linger for weeks. If Bell sits, Jonathan Dwyer would fill in as the early-down pounder and goal-line option. Felix Jones would mix in as well. Neither one is a very attractive flex play, but Dwyer gets the edge as the one more likely to score a touchdown.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues

RB Knile Davis, ChiefsOwned in 2 percent of Yahoo leagues

If you’re in a competitive league, chances are strong that both Donald Brown and Montee Ball are already owned. If that’s the case, I’d rather go with handcuffs and lottery tickets at the running back spot than some of the also-rans at the position. Knile Davis is the poster boy because of the heavy workload the 199-pound Jamaal Charles is handling (22.8 touches per game). But it’s also worth rostering other players that are one injury away, whether you own the starter or not. That list includes Bryce Brown, Roy Helu, Bernard Pierce, Michael Bush, James Starks, Toby Gerhart, Dennis Johnson, Shonn Greene, Jacquizz Rodgers, Christine Michael, Benny Cunningham and Kendall Hunter.

Recommendation: Should be owned as a lottery ticket or handcuff

RB LeGarrette Blount, PatriotsOwned in 6 percent of Yahoo leagues

We don’t know when fumbling Stevan Ridley will get out of the doghouse and dress again. Maybe it will be this week, maybe it’ll be next. What we do know is that whenever Ridley is inactive, LeGarrette Blount will handle “big back” duties. That means 8-12 carries and a chance or two in the red zone. Blount gets a plus matchup at home against the Browns this week.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 12-team non-PPR leagues

RB Willis McGahee, BrownsOwned in 13 percent of Yahoo leagues

Willis McGahee seized back control of the Brown’s backfield in Week 13, out-touching Chris Ogbonnaya 16 to nine. He also retained the goal-line work, leading to a 1-yard score in the first quarter. McGahee would be a Hail Mary of a flex play this week, but New England has been getting absolutely smashed by opposing running backs lately.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 14-team leagues

RB Jordan Todman, JaguarsOwned in 0 percent of Yahoo leagues

The Jags have been talking up a committee approach between Maurice Jones-Drew and Jordan Todman. In Week 12, Jones-Drew got 20 touches on 43 snaps while Todman was at 12 touches on 21 snaps. In Week 13, it was MJD with 25 touches on 60 snaps and Todman with six touches on 17 snaps. As you can see, it’s questionable whether they’ll follow through on the promises of a timeshare, but they should have motivation with Jones-Drew almost certainly gone in 2014. Six touches will be the floor for Todman, who was an eye-opening stud in the preseason (29 rushes, 223 yards, two touchdowns)

Recommendation: Should be owned in 16-team leagues

WR Julian Edelman, PatriotsOwned in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues

Aaron Dobson (foot) is hurt, Kenbrell Thompkins (hip) is hurt and Danny Amendola has been ineffective far too often. It’s left Julian Edelman as the No. 2 option in the passing game for Tom Brady, behind only Rob Gronkowski. Over the last two weeks, “minitron” has totaled 18 catches for 211 yards with two touchdowns on 23 targets. He’s capable of playing the slot and the outside positions, meaning he plays more snaps than any other wideout on the team. Edelman is a weekly WR3 in PPR formats heading into a home game against the Browns.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

WR Michael Crabtree, 49ersOwned in 47 percent of Yahoo leagues

In his first game since a May Achilles’ tendon tear, Michael Crabtree started and played on 42-of-67 snaps (62.6 percent). Mario Manningham got just 16 snaps. Crabtree caught two passes on four targets, lumbering up the sideline for 60 yards on one of them. He’s clearly not quite himself, but the 49ers are very willing to throw him right into the fire. Crabtree will be a low-end WR3 against the Seahawks in Week 14 and Darrelle Revis in Week 15, but could very well have serious WR2 appeal in a Week 16 home game against the Falcons.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

WR Doug Baldwin, SeahawksOwned in 19 percent of Yahoo leagues

I’m worried about Percy Harvin’s hip. He’s more than four months removed from surgery, yet he’s still getting it drained and getting cortisone injections. Perhaps he rushed back to game action too quickly and there are reports that the Seahawks might hold him out the rest of the regular season. That would leave the underrated Baldwin as an every-down receiver opposite Golden Tate. On Monday night, Baldwin consistently ran free in the Saints’ secondary and finished with a 4/77/1 line on five targets. He’ll have some desperation WR3 appeal going forward.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 14-team leagues

WR Nate Burleson, LionsOwned in 43 percent of Yahoo leagues

Yes, Nate Burleson oddly had zero catches on one target on Thanksgiving. But he played on a healthy 60-of-83 snaps as the Lions continue to run three-wide as their base. Burleson won’t be a great spot start this week as he squares off with Philly’s elite slot corner Brandon Boykin, but he’s still on the PPR WR3/4 radar for Weeks 15 and 16 for home games against the Ravens and Giants.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team PPR leagues

WR Cordarrelle Patterson, VikingsOwned in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues

It’s finally turned into a timeshare at the split end spot in Minnesota as the Vikings take the chains off their prized rookie. Over the last three weeks, Cordarrelle Patterson has played on 136 snaps while Jerome Simpson has played on 122. The Vikes are doing everything they can to get the ball in Patterson’s hands, finding success by simply handling the ball. It’s a force-feed situation, one that will lead to some big days and some duds. At least Patterson has a chance to be a difference-maker in fantasy box scores thanks to his explosive talent.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 12-team leagues

WR Rod Streater, RaidersOwned in 19 percent of Yahoo leagues

Streater saw just four targets as Andre Holmes stole the show against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. That doesn’t mean Streater isn’t Matt McGloin’s go-to guy. In the two previous games, the Temple product racked up 17 targets as his crisp route-running fits well with McGloin’s “throw it to a spot” style. This week, Streater will be a WR4 candidate against the Jets’ brutal secondary whether Denarius Moore (shoulder) returns or not.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 12-team PPR leagues

WR Andre Holmes, RaidersOwned in 1 percent of Yahoo leagues

Andre Holmes’ Week 14 relevance will be directly tied to the status of Denarius Moore’s shoulder. But at the very least, this size/speed freak has put himself squarely on the Dynasty radar. Holmes goes 6’4/210 and has 4.45 wheels, putting them on display in a 7/136/0 Thanksgiving performance against his old team, the Cowboys. He has a strong rapport with Matt McGloin as the duo spent plenty of time with the second- and third-stringers during the offseason.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues

WR Ace Sanders, JaguarsOwned in 1 percent of Yahoo leagues

Although Mike Brown was back in action in Week 13, Ace Sanders still played on 50-of-76 snaps. The Jags are now creating plays within the gameplan for their pint-sized fourth-round rookie, leading to 20 catches for 189 yards on 26 targets over the last three weeks. He’s lined up in the backfield, out of the slot and out wide in an effort to find mismatches. Sanders will be a desperation WR4 against the Texans Thursday.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 14-team leagues

TE Ladarius Green, ChargersOwned in 8 percent of Yahoo leagues

I take personal offense to the fact that Ladarius Green is not owned in 92 percent of leagues. To reiterate, this is a 6’6/238 man that runs in the 4.4s. That alone is enough to pique our interest, and it’s finally caught the attention of the Chargers coaches in a big way. Green set a career-high by playing on 29-of-72 snaps in Week 12 and then followed that up by playing on 61-of-67 in Week 13. That massive usage stems from Antonio Gates’ decline/hamstring woes and the Chargers’ lack of a real No. 2 wideout behind Keenan Allen. The 2/45/1 line against the Bengals was somewhat disappointing, but Green saw a career-high six targets and now has a score in two straight games. I’d be comfortable starting this kind of talent as a top-12 tight end against the Giants Sunday. He’s emerging as a major part of the Chargers’ weekly gameplan as the go with a double-tight end set as their base.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

TE Garrett Graham, TexansOwned in 35 percent of Yahoo leagues

It’s actually scary how many targets Garrett Graham is piling up. Over the last three weeks, he’s totaled an absurd 32 targets. That’s resulted in 15 catches for 204 yards with one touchdown. Graham projects to be more efficient on his chances this week as he’ll face the Jaguars. There’s plenty of upside here despite the fact that Graham just isn’t that good.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

TE Jared Cook, RamsOwned in 57 percent of Yahoo leagues

This is a strict matchup play. The Cardinals have bigger linebackers that are excellent against the run, but struggle badly in coverage on a weekly basis. The Eagles came into Week 13 with a gameplan to exploit that and the Rams figure to do the same with Jared Cook. Remember that in Week 1, Cook went off for 7/141/2 against the Cardinals. Since then, he has one game with more than 50 yards and two touchdowns. Cook is licking his chops.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

TE Zach Ertz, EaglesOwned in 2 percent of Yahoo leagues

Let’s not overreact to Zach Ertz’s 5/68/2 line. It came against the Cardinals, who struggle badly to defend tight ends (as noted in the Jared Cook blurb). The question we have to ask is Ertz’s role really changing? The answer is no, as he’s played between 31 and 42 snaps in seven of the last nine games. He’s seen somewhere between 3-6 targets seven of the last eight. In other words, Ertz is a nice young player that’s functioning as the move tight end, but we can’t expect anything more than TE2 value.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 14-team leagues

TE Brandon Myers, GiantsOwned in 29 percent of Yahoo leagues

Myers has quietly been coming on over the last three weeks, averaging 3.6 catches for 44.0 yards with two touchdowns during that span. With Hakeem Nicks struggling so badly, it’s a no-brainer for Eli Manning to look for Myers more. Now he gets to play in a warm-weather game against a poor Chargers defense.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper 14-team leagues

Defense/Special Teams - RaidersOwned in 10 percent of Yahoo leagues

Yes, it’s the rare game in which both defenses are streaming options. Geno Smith hasn’t topped 200 yards passing in any of his last five games. During that span, he’s thrown zero touchdowns and eight interceptions (and fumbled once). The Jets are only going back to the rookie because their other options are Matt Simms and David Garrard. Yikes.

Defense/Special Teams - JaguarsOwned in 1 percent of Yahoo leagues

Over the last four weeks, the Jags are fantasy’s No. 8 fantasy defense. During that span, they’re 14th in points allowed per game (22.0), 10th in interceptions (4) and third in fumble recoveries (4). Now they get to play the Texans at home on Thursday Night Football, which projects to be a messy game all the way around. Over Case Keenum’s last three games, he’s averaging just 203.6 yards and has thrown one touchdown against three interceptions. It’s a letdown spot for the Texans as they come off an emotional home loss to the Patriots.

Defense/Special Teams - JetsOwned in 15 percent of Yahoo leagues

The Jets are spectacular up front and are among the worst in league against the pass. Luckily for them, they get to face Matt McGloin and the Raiders Sunday. They also get to play at home in a 1pm ET start against a West Coast team, which is always a nice bonus. Once Rashad Jennings gets stuffed, McGloin – who has one touchdown and two picks in his last two games -- projects to struggle.

K Robbie Gould, BearsOwned in 46 percent of Yahoo leagues

Robbie Gould is among the best kickers in the history of the NFL, so there’s little concern that his 47-yard game-losing miss from Week 13 will linger. He’ll face the Cowboys at home this week in another potential shootout. Gould has converted at least two attempts in six of his last seven games.

K Alex Henery, EaglesOwned in 10 percent of Yahoo leagues

The Eagles offense has been so efficient in the red zone that Alex Henery has gotten just 23 field-goal attempts in 12 games. But this spot is too good to pass up. The Lions are coming to town for a game oddsmakers are projecting to total around 54 points. With Detroit’s run defense proving elite of late, some stall-out drives are more than likely. Henery should get his fair share of chances.

K Nick Novak, ChargersOwned in 44 percent of Yahoo leagues

We swung and missed with Nick Novak as the Chargers could muster just 10 points against the Bengals. This is a week for redemption. Novak now gets to play in the ideal kicking conditions of San Diego again, this time against a Giants team coming all the way across the country. Expect more opportunities.

K Dan Carpenter, BillsOwned in 13 percent of Yahoo leagues

This week provides a chance to get fantasy’s No. 9 kicker in a good-weather game against the league’s No. 17 scoring defense. Dan Carpenter has gone 23-of-25 on the season, including eight makes from 40-plus.